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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. swing — in golf
  3. land — ground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. band — a music group
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. swing — music
  12. band — a ring
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. land — a country
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. craft — boats
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com